Item Entered: Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Although the opening world cup game kicked off in Munich on June 9, 2006, the FIFA World Cup™ had long since begun for approximately 400 Schenker staff. As the official logistics provider for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, Schenker was entrusted by the local organization committee with all logistics tasks concerning the world cup event.

7680 Philips TV screens, 15150 seats, 3300 desk lamps for the media stands and media centers, around 1100cbm of furniture for the back office in the stadiums, 1000 printers, 200 photocopiers and 250 fax machines, about 40 specially made office portakabins for the fan ambassadors in the FIFA World Cup cities, 200 multi-purpose containers (office, warehouse, refrigerator and toilet portakabins) and not to forget an impressive 270 team equipment transports. These are just a few of the figures that SCHENKERglobalsportsevents can quote following the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. All in all, the effort involved around 1800 truck loads.

Already back in October 2005 the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ organizational committee for Germany had undertaken a trip to all 31 countries that had qualified for the final round. SCHENKERglobalsportsevents organized the shipping of presentation materials and graphic displays as well as sound, lighting and video technology for this welcome trip in the different countries. Schenker also took on the logistics for advertising material such as brochures, pens, posters and the since famous cuddly toy “Goleo”.

As the welcome events partially took place in the different countries at the same time, several material sets were required. They were returned to Germany after every event, where Schenker reconstituted them afresh and then sent them off to the next world cup participant country. “Not to be forgotten is the contribution Schenker has made in performing the entire logistics role in exemplarily fashion, and this also includes our much appreciated welcome trips“, said Franz Beckenbauer shortly before the final whistle was blown at the final.

Hardly any other sporting event had placed such high demands on the logistics effort: For the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ Schenker rendered a multitude of services virtually around the clock. At times up to 400 staff members were being deployed in the twelve stadiums and at the IBC media centre. The Schenker team was reinforced by more than 100 staff working in the background and in the home countries of the participating football squads. Not to be forgotten are the more than 400 volunteer helpers who were deployed in a shift system in the stadiums.

Apart from distributing monitors, chairs, copiers and other equipment in the stadiums the team at SCHENKERglobalsportsevents was also responsible for the complete logistics service to equip the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in Munich. The IBC was the contact point for 10,000 staff of the approximately 300 TV channels that had arrived from across the globe in order to broadcast their reports to more than 200 countries. To enable reporters, correspondents and film editors to work professionally, the Schenker team transported roughly 700 tons of ultra-sensitive TV equipment for the IBC.

“This is the best world cup of all time for atmosphere and logistics”, affirmed recently the FIFA President. “We are proud of this praise and are delighted as official logistics service provider for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ to have contributed to the success of this great event”, said Michael Korn, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Management at Schenker Deutschland AG and responsible for the product areas of air and sea-freight as well as logistics for sports events. “Our specialists have displayed an effort to show which value our service, which largely goes on in the background, has for all those involved”, added Michael Korn.

And also in the days and weeks after the world cup, Schenker was still actively working for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. The stadium surfaces had to be returned to their original condition, valuable objects had to be secured directly after the last game, the media stands dismantled and in addition to the logistic services provided in the stadiums numerous return transports of many consignments had to be carried out.

With its logistics organization at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ Schenker has once again shown that a world full of ideas needs a partner full of possibilities.

SCHENKERglobalsportsevents – The Spirit of Sportlogistics.